Abstract:
We aimed to characterize NDM-5-producing
Enterobacteriaceae from aquatic products in Guangzhou, China. A total of 196 intestinal samples of grass carp collected in 2019 were screened for carbapenemase genes. Characterization of
blaNDM-5 positive isolates and plasmids was determined by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, conjugation experiments, Illumina HiSeq, and Nanopore sequencing. One
Citrobacter freundii and six
Escherichia coli strains recovered from seven intestinal samples were verified as
blaNDM-5 carriers (3.57%, 7/196). The
blaNDM-5 genes were located on the IncX3 (
n=5), IncHI2 (
n=1), or IncHI2-IncF (
n=1) plasmids. All
blaNDM-5-bearing plasmids were transferred by conjugation at frequencies of ~10
−4–10
−6. Based on sequence analysis, the IncHI2 plasmid pHNBYF33-1 was similar to other
blaNDM-5-carrying IncHI2 plasmids deposited in GenBank from Guangdong ducks. In all IncHI2 plasmids,
blaNDM-5 was embedded in a novel transposon, Tn
7051 (IS
3000-ΔIS
Aba125-IS
5-ΔIS
Aba125-
blaNDM-5-
bleMBL-
trpF-
tat-∆
dct-IS
26-∆
umuD-∆IS
Kox3-IS
3000), which was identical to the genetic structure surrounding
blaNDM-5 found in some IncX3 plasmids. The IncHI2-IncF hybrid plasmid pHNTH9F11-1 was formed by homologous recombination of the
blaNDM-5-carrying IncHI2 plasmid and a heavy-metal-resistant IncF plasmid through ∆Tn
1721. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the characterization of
blaNDM-5-bearing plasmids in fish in China. The IncHI2 plasmid pHNBYF33-1 may be transmitted from ducks, considering the common duck-fish freshwater aquaculture system in Guangdong. Tn
7051 is likely responsible for the transfer of
blaNDM-5 from IncX3 to IncHI2 plasmids in
Enterobacteriaceae, resulting in the expansion of transmission vectors of
blaNDM-5.